DENVER and MEMPHIS, Tenn., Sept. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First Data
Corp. (NYSE: FDC), and Concord EFS, Inc. (NYSE: CE), today announced that they
have each certified to the Department of Justice (DoJ) as to substantial
compliance with its request for additional information pertaining to First
Data's pending merger with Concord. The DoJ has the right to challenge such
certification.
The companies expect the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of
2003, as announced previously.
About First Data
First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC), with global headquarters in Denver, helps
power the global economy. As an electronic commerce and payment services
company, First Data serves approximately 3 million merchant locations,
1,400 card issuers and millions of consumers, making it easy, fast and secure
for people and businesses to buy goods and services using virtually any form
of payment. With 29,000 employees worldwide, the company provides credit,
debit, smart card and stored-value card issuing and merchant transaction
processing services; Internet commerce solutions; money transfer services;
money orders; and check processing and verification services throughout the
United States. First Data also offers a variety of payment services in the
United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Spain, the Netherlands, the
Middle East and Germany. Its Western Union and Orlandi Valuta money transfer
networks include a total of approximately 165,000 Agent locations in more than
195 countries and territories.
About Concord
Concord EFS, Inc., a vertically integrated electronic transaction
processor, provides the technology and network systems that make payments and
other financial transactions faster, more efficient, and more secure than
paper-based alternatives. Concord acquires, routes, authorizes, captures, and
settles virtually all types of electronic payment and deposit access
transactions for financial institutions and merchants nationwide. Concord's
primary activities include Network Services, which provides automated teller
machine (ATM) processing, debit card processing, deposit risk management, and
STARsm network access principally for financial institutions; and Payment
Services, which provides point of sale processing, settlement, and related
services, with specialized systems focusing on supermarkets, major retailers,
gas stations, convenience stores, restaurants, and trucking companies.
This communication is not a solicitation of a proxy from any security
holder of First Data Corporation or Concord EFS, Inc. First Data has filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a preliminary joint proxy
statement/prospectus concerning the planned merger of Concord with a
subsidiary of First Data. This document is not yet final and will be amended.
WE URGE INVESTORS TO READ THE DEFINITIVE VERSION OF THE JOINT PROXY
STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS TO BE FILED WITH THE
SEC, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors will be able
to obtain the documents free of charge at the SEC's website, http://www.sec.gov. In
addition, documents filed with the SEC by First Data will be available free of
charge from First Data Investor Relations, 6200 S. Quebec St., Suite 340,
Greenwood Village, CO 80111. Documents filed with the SEC by Concord will be
available free of charge from Concord Investor Relations, 2525 Horizon Lake
Drive, Suite 120, Memphis, TN 38133.
First Data and Concord, and their respective directors and executive
officers and other members of their management and employees, may be deemed to
be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of First
Data and Concord, respectively, in connection with the planned merger.
Information about the directors and executive officers of First Data and their
ownership of First Data stock is set forth in the proxy statement for First
Data's 2003 annual meeting of stockholders. Information about the directors
and executive officers of Concord and their ownership of Concord stock is set
forth in the proxy statement for Concord's 2003 annual meeting of
stockholders. Investors may obtain additional information regarding the
interests of the participants by reading the preliminary joint proxy
statement/prospectus and by reading the definitive joint proxy
statement/prospectus when it becomes available.
Notice to Investors, Prospective Investors and the Investment Community
Cautionary Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this communication regarding the proposed merger of First
Data Corporation and Concord EFS, Inc., which are not historical facts,
including expectations of when the transaction may close, are "forward-looking
statements." All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they
are based on various expectations and assumptions concerning future events and
they are subject to numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which
could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those
projected. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements and any such forward-looking statements are
qualified in their entirety by reference to the following cautionary
statements.
Important factors upon which the forward-looking statements presented in
this communication are premised include: (a) receipt of regulatory and
shareholder approvals without unexpected delays or conditions; (b) no
unanticipated developments relating to previously disclosed lawsuits or
similar matters; and (c) no catastrophic events that could impact First Data's
or Concord's operating facilities, communication systems and technology.
Neither First Data nor Concord undertakes any obligation to publicly update or
revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the
occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events, or changes to future
results over time.
FDC-1
SOURCE First Data Corp.; Concord EFS, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.firstdata.com
CONTACT:
investors, David Banks of First Data,
+1-303-967-8057; or Ed Winnick of Concord, +1-302-791-8484; or
media, Staci Busby of First Data, +1-303-967-6275; or Melinda
Mercurio of Concord, +1-302-791-8109
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